Formula E CEO Invites Verstappen to Test Gen4 Car

Formula 1 / Formula E, Sportrik Media - Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, has offered Max Verstappen the opportunity to test the upcoming Gen4 car “anywhere in the world” following the Dutch driver’s recent remarks in Bahrain comparing the new F1 cars to “Formula E on steroids.”

During the first three-day pre-season test in Bahrain, Verstappen criticised the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, highlighting the increased importance of energy management. The new 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power has introduced lift-and-coast techniques even on push laps, a concept traditionally absent from F1. Similar concerns have been voiced by drivers including Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who have questioned the driving characteristics of the new generation.

Dodds did not interpret Verstappen’s comparison as a slight against Formula E. Instead, he suggested it reflected Verstappen’s desire to drive consistently at the limit without strategic energy constraints.

“What I hear him saying is that he wants to get in the car and drive it on the limit, and this isn’t allowing him to do that. It’s forcing him to drive in a different way, and he doesn’t enjoy it as much,” Dodds told RacingNews365.

He argued that the technological direction of Formula E is moving toward increased performance with the introduction of Gen4 and future Gen5 machinery. According to Dodds, advancements in powertrain technology will make the cars progressively faster and deliver a more aggressive racing style.

“With Gen4 and into Gen5, the powertrain technology will allow the car to get faster and faster, and the style of racing to be more unleashed in the way he’s used to. If Formula 1 adds more electric weight, the car isn’t going to get faster — that’s just physics.”

Formula E is set to introduce its Gen4 car later this year. The new machine has undergone extensive private testing with the FIA and participating manufacturers and is expected to reach performance levels comparable to, or potentially exceeding, current Formula 2 machinery in certain configurations.

Dodds extended an open invitation to Verstappen to evaluate the car personally, without media exposure.

“My invitation to Max would always be: no press, no TV cameras, nothing. I’ll put a car on a track anywhere in the world he wants, and he can have it for a day and do what he wants with it. The only proviso is that at the end, he gives me an honest opinion.”

As both Formula 1 and Formula E enter new regulatory cycles, the technological and philosophical comparisons between the championships are intensifying. A potential Gen4 test by Verstappen could provide a notable benchmark for assessing how far electric single-seater performance has evolved.